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Texas Agriculture Archive

May 3, 2002

Goat officials meet
over scrapie regulations

By Lana Robinson
Field Editor

Implications of new regulations aimed at eradicating scrapie, a fatal degenerative brain disease affecting sheep and goats, was the subject of a meeting between representatives of the Texas and U.S. goat industry and Texas Animal Health Commission and U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Inspection Service officials at the Texas Farm Bureau state office in Waco, April 22. Of particular concern was how the premise identification system is understood by producers, and what the impacts and consequences, if any, of the new protocol may have on show animals and the fledgling meat goat industry.

Effective November 2001, the USDA began requiring that certain classes of sheep and goats have premise identification ear tags applied before they are moved from their farm to be sold in interstate commerce, or commingled with sheep and goats from any other farms. Compliance action in Texas, which officially began April 1, 2002, requires ID ear tags on: 1) All goats 18 months of age or older that are, or have been, commingled with sheep; 2) All breeding goats that are, or have been, commingled with sheep; 3) All sheep 18 months of age or older; 4) All breeding sheep regardless of age; and 5) Sexually intact show or exhibition sheep and goats.

Jon Johnson, TFB associate director of Commodity and Regulatory Activities, emphasized, "If you do not have a premise ID or eartags, you can call 1-866-873-2824 to get them. If you arrive at the auction market without tags or a premise ID, you could be rejected, or the auction barn may charge you a substantial fee to apply the eartags."

Rick Smathers, TAHC director of Program Records, said if you use the white metal or white plastic tags provided through the state-federal program, there is no cost.

"There is no limit on how many tags you can order. A free pair of tag pliers will be provided with the first shipment of tags," said Smathers.

Dr. Max Coats, deputy state veterinarian with the TAHC, said producers are under the misconception that they have to tag their entire flock. "Just tag them when they leave the farm. The tags are only required when the goats leave the premises," he said.

International trade has brought the issue of scrapie in goats to the fore.

"On the international trade scene, sheep and goats are a single industry," Coats told the group. "In many parts of the world, scrapie is more prevalent in goats. So they are lumped together."

Accidently introduced into the U.S. in 1947, scrapie is among a number of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). TSEs are the subject of increased attention and concern because of the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, the link between BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in people, and feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) in cats in Europe.

Lambs and kids are most susceptible to scrapie and are typically exposed through fluids and tissues associated with birthing. Scrapie develops slowly, and infected animals usually don't show signs of the disease—including weight loss, tremors, loss of coordination, swaying, or wool pulling—until they are 18 months of age or older. Infected dams may shed the infectious agent — or prion — during lambing without showing clinical signs of disease. Gary Svetlick, USDA-VMO (Veterinary Medical Officer) in Austin, the leading U.S. authority on BSE, recommends disinfecting kidding barns, but warns that the scrapie prions are very resilient.

"The most effective disinfectant is 2 percent active chlorine. Use 6.5 cups to a gallon of water. That still won't kill it all. We have tried burning it and it still shows up in the ash," he said, adding that placentas should be deep buried.

Due to the susceptibility of goats in the birth to three month range, Pete Warlick of Rosenthal, president of the American Boer Goat Association, and John Edwards of Stephenville, ABGA vice president, along with Ann Giardini, Texas Farm Bureau member and goat producer from Axtell, said the industry may need to consider eliminating the zero to three month show class or time the dates of the exhibitions to catch older kids.

"Genetics have not worked out for goats because there has not been enough infection to tell which ones are resistant and which ones are not," Svetlick noted.

Clean up and monitoring plans for diseased flocks may include a combination of partial depopulation and movement restrictions to prevent potential disease spread. The use of pilot projects will provide more options to producers for the elimination of scrapie, while retaining valuable genetics. An federal indemnity payment, based on fair market value will be available. A premium will be paid for registered animals, based on their age.

By 2010, animal health officials and sheep industry leaders say scrapie can be eliminated. By 2017, the U.S. goal is to be declared officially scrapie-free by international standards.

TAHC is offering a free brochure, State and Federal Scrapie Requirements: Identifying Sheep and Goats. For more information, call: 1-800-550-8242; or visit the TAHC web site: www.tahc.state.tx.us.